Rooftops and Ruins: Rome's Splendor
Day 1
We woke up early Tuesday morning and took the bus from Nocelle to Positano City Center, and then connected to Sorrento via the SITA SUD regional bus service. Then we rode a train to Naples, and finally on to Rome aboard a high-speed train. This was admittedly a lot of travel, about 4-5 hours in total. However, we'd definitely recommend taking the affordable buses and trains from Positano to Naples, rather than hiring a private driver, as your money will be better invested buying a high-speed train ticket from Naples to Rome (1 hour, versus the regular 3 hours).
We arrived to our Air BnB in the Trastevere neighborhood, and I immediately fell in love. There were numerous shops, restaurants, cobblestone streets, ivy, rich colors and our Air BnB had a terrace to overlook it all. Sitting up on the terrace, reading my book and listening to the sounds is one of my favorite memories of Rome.
We immediately grabbed some pizza, of course, and then headed off to explore the sites of Rome. We headed out of Trastevere, across the Tiber river, and straight for the Roman Forum. This was our first destination, as we wanted to spend some time really seeing Rome in all its glory in the evening glow, and I had marveled about the Roman Forum to Kent many times up to this point.
We arrived and were both (yes, me as well, even though I'd already seen it) amazed at its grandeur and duration over two thousand years. We then walked toward the Colosseum, which is at the east end of the Forum, and were taken aback by its structure and resilience. Since it was early evening and we didn't want to rush through any of these sites, we headed on to a church that I had also told Kent about many times, the perfect analogy of Rome. Church Clementine, a 5-minutes walk from the Colosseum, was our destination, and we were able to enter with no line, few tourists, and a higher entrance fee than when I was there last (10 euro vs. 3.5 euro). The entrance fee grants you access down below the present day church, built in the 1100s. Heading down the stairs, to dark, musty stone rooms, you then emerge into a fourth century basilica with original fresco paintings still faintly in tact. Taking stairs even further below, we entered a first century pagan worship space. This experience of the "layers" that Rome can offer was the perfect introduction to our stay in the Eternal City.
After Church Clementine, we headed home, and marveled at the random ruins along the way, surrounded by the bustling city. We picked up some meat, cheese, and more pizza, and enjoyed a lovely evening on the terrace.
Day 2
The next morning, we wasted no time as we had a lot we wanted to see during these two full days in Rome. We had heard that, while sleep is valuable, waking up early to experience Rome is worth it to see the streets with few tourists, and experience some of the sites before the crowds swarm—because they will.
Our first destination was Trevi Fountain. Along the way, we picked up a pastry, coffee, and took in the crisp air and quiet morning. We were giddy, as the pictures you see of Trevi Fountain and its front steps are typically covered with people and it looks a bit overwhelming. On this lovely morning, however, we were about 2 of 15 people, and it was idyllic. We flipped some coins over our shoulders, took some goofy videos, and marveled at the sheer size of the fountain.
Since it was only 10 minutes away, we then headed to the Pantheon, and luckily arrived right when it opened. This also allowed us to experience this amazing structure with few people inside. While this structure is well-known, to us it was almost more impressive than the Colosseum, due to its size, origin (120 AD), and architectural genius. Originally, this structure was used to worship all of the gods (Pantheon means "all of the gods") but in 390 AD, it was turned into a Christian worship center, as the Christian god became the only legal god in Rome.
After taking our time enjoying this building with few tourists, we headed to the Vatican. Growing up in Catholic families, this building is definitely something we had known about during our Catholic upbringing and education. And on Wednesdays, which is when we were visiting, the Pope rides around in St. Peter's Square in his Pope mobile and conducts mass. We got there just in time to see him riding around, hear some of the priests (and maybe cardinals?) say some words, and then we headed onwards to experience other parts of Rome. We'd be back the following day to tour the Vatican Museums.
At this point in the day, it was only 9:30am, so I was starting to get hungry, or hangry (hungry + angry), as often happens when we travel. We headed to Campo di Fiori to people watch and get some food. While I would like to say I ate a proper Italian breakfast of croissants and espresso, I actually sat on the piazza eating scrambled eggs, toast, cheese, ham (and an espresso, of course). We then bought some food from the market for later, and headed back to our wonderful terrace to rest our feet and gear up for the second part of the day.
We journeyed across the Tiber River again, heading to the Roman Forum and Colosseum to fully experience it. As we headed there, it began to rain, and since I had our nice camera with no jacket or umbrella, we purchased an umbrella from the vendors selling on the street. Let me tell you, they have their game down. The rain starts, and vendors flock to the streets within seconds, offering you ponchos and umbrellas, knowing tourists are underprepared. After opening the umbrella we were going to buy and seeing rust, we opted for a poncho instead. We bought our tickets and headed into the Forum; the rain working in our favor as there were fewer tourists. We used Rick Steve's audioguide to somewhat understand what we were looking at. Fourteen-hundred year old iron doors with their original hinges, the rock on which Caesar Augustus was murdered, the House of the Vestal Virgins who looked after the temple and kept its light eternally lit. It truly is spectacular, the level of history this barely more than an acre plot of land, nestled between two hills, offers.
We then headed to the Colosseum, which is quite spectacular as well. However, Kent and I both agree that the Forum is more our style. The whole plot of land, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Capitol Hill, and Roman Forum make up a grand area that is extremely unique.
After spending a few hours on our feet, we headed back to our home base again to rest up before dinner. We first sat down at a restaurant that had a line out the door. They sit you with other couples and only have 1 pasta each day. While I'm sure that was amazing, and a proper Italian dinner, we wanted a bit more privacy, and I was craving cacio e pepe. We found another place nearby, sat outside with a glass of wine, and enjoyed carbonara and cacio e pepe. A young Italian couple was also sitting nearby, and just as we were talking about Donald Trump, they offered us wine. After discovering that their english was amazing, we enjoyed a lovely conversation (and Kent is now connected with Riccardo on LinkedIn). Finally, we ended another idyllic evening on the terrace enjoying wine and some local Birra Moretti (Moretti Beer).
Day 3
The next morning, we awoke early and headed to the Vatican for our tour. Kent purchased tickets online ahead of time, so we were able to skip the line and enter the museum within 10 minutes. A coworker later said she did the "breakfast at the museum" option where you pay a bit more, but are able to see the museum and Sistine Chapel before the crowds ensue—and I would definitely recommend this.
We used Rick Steve's guided tour to navigate the overwhelming museum. From my last trip, I remembered that there was an absurd amount of artifacts to see, and so unless you're really good at appreciating a mass amount of work, it's best to hyper-focus your tour in order to not only fully appreciate different pieces but also to keep your sanity and body in tact.
Rick Steve's helped us in doing so, taking us in an efficient way to the main points of attraction. The Hall of Maps was our favorite, due to our own love and collection of maps. The hall includes a map of each region of Italy, which was easy to appreciate since we'd been looking at many maps when planning our trip and were quite familiar with different regions. It was fun to see where we'd been and where we were going.
We then headed to the Sistine Chapel and, after reading a 300-page book on the masterpiece by Michelangelo, I definitely wanted to spend some time in this room and find the symbolism and elements that were mentioned in the book. This wasn't possible, though, as the Sistine Chapel was swarmed. If we had to evacuate that area for some reason, it would have taken us too long, and it would not have been a success. There was a major traffic jam with strollers, people talking loudly, and the constant "shhhh" of Vatican security guards. It was not an ideal experience, but it still allowed us time to be in complete awe of a masterpiece.
We then exited the museum and paid 5 euros to go to the top of St. Peter's Dome, something I did not do on my last trip to Rome. We decided to climb the stairs, which afforded us a lovely view of the city and a look inside St. Peter's from above. We then headed down from the dome and walked around the Basilica. Our feet were screaming, so we couldn't give the church the time it deserved. Nonetheless, we were able to find an area, rest our feet, and take in the extreme size of the church. The statues themselves are incredibly large, but are dwarfed by the overall size of the basilica.
Next up was lunch of burrata, tuna salad (lettuce with tuna slices on top), and an aperol sprtiz. We then packed our clothes, rested a bit more on the terrace, and headed to the Jewish Ghetto to do a walking tour of the area. We went in some stores, marveled at the old ruins, and got some sweets and Prosecco that we later enjoyed on the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are pretty, especially as the sun goes down, but I'm still not sure why they are always packed with so many people. I recommend grabbing some food, a beverage, and sitting on the steps to people watch and take in the evening.
Travel Tips:
1. We loved the Trastevere neighborhood, as we were out of the extreme tourist areas but still had plenty of shops and quaint cobblestone streets out our door. We also highly recommend our AirBnb!
2. Make reservations at restaurants, as we walked up to some restaurants to get a table, and while they did not look busy, they shared that they were full for the evening.
3. Get a guidebook or audioguide to help you appreciate the Roman Forum, and give it the time it deserves.
4. Pay a bit extra to experience the Vatican with less crowds and mayhem.
We woke up early Tuesday morning and took the bus from Nocelle to Positano City Center, and then connected to Sorrento via the SITA SUD regional bus service. Then we rode a train to Naples, and finally on to Rome aboard a high-speed train. This was admittedly a lot of travel, about 4-5 hours in total. However, we'd definitely recommend taking the affordable buses and trains from Positano to Naples, rather than hiring a private driver, as your money will be better invested buying a high-speed train ticket from Naples to Rome (1 hour, versus the regular 3 hours).
We arrived to our Air BnB in the Trastevere neighborhood, and I immediately fell in love. There were numerous shops, restaurants, cobblestone streets, ivy, rich colors and our Air BnB had a terrace to overlook it all. Sitting up on the terrace, reading my book and listening to the sounds is one of my favorite memories of Rome.
 |
| The AirBnb terrace |
We immediately grabbed some pizza, of course, and then headed off to explore the sites of Rome. We headed out of Trastevere, across the Tiber river, and straight for the Roman Forum. This was our first destination, as we wanted to spend some time really seeing Rome in all its glory in the evening glow, and I had marveled about the Roman Forum to Kent many times up to this point.
We arrived and were both (yes, me as well, even though I'd already seen it) amazed at its grandeur and duration over two thousand years. We then walked toward the Colosseum, which is at the east end of the Forum, and were taken aback by its structure and resilience. Since it was early evening and we didn't want to rush through any of these sites, we headed on to a church that I had also told Kent about many times, the perfect analogy of Rome. Church Clementine, a 5-minutes walk from the Colosseum, was our destination, and we were able to enter with no line, few tourists, and a higher entrance fee than when I was there last (10 euro vs. 3.5 euro). The entrance fee grants you access down below the present day church, built in the 1100s. Heading down the stairs, to dark, musty stone rooms, you then emerge into a fourth century basilica with original fresco paintings still faintly in tact. Taking stairs even further below, we entered a first century pagan worship space. This experience of the "layers" that Rome can offer was the perfect introduction to our stay in the Eternal City.
 |
| Roman Forum |
After Church Clementine, we headed home, and marveled at the random ruins along the way, surrounded by the bustling city. We picked up some meat, cheese, and more pizza, and enjoyed a lovely evening on the terrace.
Day 2
The next morning, we wasted no time as we had a lot we wanted to see during these two full days in Rome. We had heard that, while sleep is valuable, waking up early to experience Rome is worth it to see the streets with few tourists, and experience some of the sites before the crowds swarm—because they will.
Our first destination was Trevi Fountain. Along the way, we picked up a pastry, coffee, and took in the crisp air and quiet morning. We were giddy, as the pictures you see of Trevi Fountain and its front steps are typically covered with people and it looks a bit overwhelming. On this lovely morning, however, we were about 2 of 15 people, and it was idyllic. We flipped some coins over our shoulders, took some goofy videos, and marveled at the sheer size of the fountain.
Since it was only 10 minutes away, we then headed to the Pantheon, and luckily arrived right when it opened. This also allowed us to experience this amazing structure with few people inside. While this structure is well-known, to us it was almost more impressive than the Colosseum, due to its size, origin (120 AD), and architectural genius. Originally, this structure was used to worship all of the gods (Pantheon means "all of the gods") but in 390 AD, it was turned into a Christian worship center, as the Christian god became the only legal god in Rome.
After taking our time enjoying this building with few tourists, we headed to the Vatican. Growing up in Catholic families, this building is definitely something we had known about during our Catholic upbringing and education. And on Wednesdays, which is when we were visiting, the Pope rides around in St. Peter's Square in his Pope mobile and conducts mass. We got there just in time to see him riding around, hear some of the priests (and maybe cardinals?) say some words, and then we headed onwards to experience other parts of Rome. We'd be back the following day to tour the Vatican Museums.
 |
| Papal Viewing |
At this point in the day, it was only 9:30am, so I was starting to get hungry, or hangry (hungry + angry), as often happens when we travel. We headed to Campo di Fiori to people watch and get some food. While I would like to say I ate a proper Italian breakfast of croissants and espresso, I actually sat on the piazza eating scrambled eggs, toast, cheese, ham (and an espresso, of course). We then bought some food from the market for later, and headed back to our wonderful terrace to rest our feet and gear up for the second part of the day.
 |
| Espresso at Campo di Fiori |
We journeyed across the Tiber River again, heading to the Roman Forum and Colosseum to fully experience it. As we headed there, it began to rain, and since I had our nice camera with no jacket or umbrella, we purchased an umbrella from the vendors selling on the street. Let me tell you, they have their game down. The rain starts, and vendors flock to the streets within seconds, offering you ponchos and umbrellas, knowing tourists are underprepared. After opening the umbrella we were going to buy and seeing rust, we opted for a poncho instead. We bought our tickets and headed into the Forum; the rain working in our favor as there were fewer tourists. We used Rick Steve's audioguide to somewhat understand what we were looking at. Fourteen-hundred year old iron doors with their original hinges, the rock on which Caesar Augustus was murdered, the House of the Vestal Virgins who looked after the temple and kept its light eternally lit. It truly is spectacular, the level of history this barely more than an acre plot of land, nestled between two hills, offers.
We then headed to the Colosseum, which is quite spectacular as well. However, Kent and I both agree that the Forum is more our style. The whole plot of land, Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Capitol Hill, and Roman Forum make up a grand area that is extremely unique.
 |
| Kent in the Roman Forum |
After spending a few hours on our feet, we headed back to our home base again to rest up before dinner. We first sat down at a restaurant that had a line out the door. They sit you with other couples and only have 1 pasta each day. While I'm sure that was amazing, and a proper Italian dinner, we wanted a bit more privacy, and I was craving cacio e pepe. We found another place nearby, sat outside with a glass of wine, and enjoyed carbonara and cacio e pepe. A young Italian couple was also sitting nearby, and just as we were talking about Donald Trump, they offered us wine. After discovering that their english was amazing, we enjoyed a lovely conversation (and Kent is now connected with Riccardo on LinkedIn). Finally, we ended another idyllic evening on the terrace enjoying wine and some local Birra Moretti (Moretti Beer).
 |
| Kent enjoying his carbonara |
Day 3
The next morning, we awoke early and headed to the Vatican for our tour. Kent purchased tickets online ahead of time, so we were able to skip the line and enter the museum within 10 minutes. A coworker later said she did the "breakfast at the museum" option where you pay a bit more, but are able to see the museum and Sistine Chapel before the crowds ensue—and I would definitely recommend this.
We used Rick Steve's guided tour to navigate the overwhelming museum. From my last trip, I remembered that there was an absurd amount of artifacts to see, and so unless you're really good at appreciating a mass amount of work, it's best to hyper-focus your tour in order to not only fully appreciate different pieces but also to keep your sanity and body in tact.
Rick Steve's helped us in doing so, taking us in an efficient way to the main points of attraction. The Hall of Maps was our favorite, due to our own love and collection of maps. The hall includes a map of each region of Italy, which was easy to appreciate since we'd been looking at many maps when planning our trip and were quite familiar with different regions. It was fun to see where we'd been and where we were going.
We then headed to the Sistine Chapel and, after reading a 300-page book on the masterpiece by Michelangelo, I definitely wanted to spend some time in this room and find the symbolism and elements that were mentioned in the book. This wasn't possible, though, as the Sistine Chapel was swarmed. If we had to evacuate that area for some reason, it would have taken us too long, and it would not have been a success. There was a major traffic jam with strollers, people talking loudly, and the constant "shhhh" of Vatican security guards. It was not an ideal experience, but it still allowed us time to be in complete awe of a masterpiece.
We then exited the museum and paid 5 euros to go to the top of St. Peter's Dome, something I did not do on my last trip to Rome. We decided to climb the stairs, which afforded us a lovely view of the city and a look inside St. Peter's from above. We then headed down from the dome and walked around the Basilica. Our feet were screaming, so we couldn't give the church the time it deserved. Nonetheless, we were able to find an area, rest our feet, and take in the extreme size of the church. The statues themselves are incredibly large, but are dwarfed by the overall size of the basilica.
 |
| View from the top of St. Peter's dome |
Next up was lunch of burrata, tuna salad (lettuce with tuna slices on top), and an aperol sprtiz. We then packed our clothes, rested a bit more on the terrace, and headed to the Jewish Ghetto to do a walking tour of the area. We went in some stores, marveled at the old ruins, and got some sweets and Prosecco that we later enjoyed on the Spanish Steps. The Spanish Steps are pretty, especially as the sun goes down, but I'm still not sure why they are always packed with so many people. I recommend grabbing some food, a beverage, and sitting on the steps to people watch and take in the evening.
 |
| Enjoying the Spanish Steps |
Travel Tips:
1. We loved the Trastevere neighborhood, as we were out of the extreme tourist areas but still had plenty of shops and quaint cobblestone streets out our door. We also highly recommend our AirBnb!
2. Make reservations at restaurants, as we walked up to some restaurants to get a table, and while they did not look busy, they shared that they were full for the evening.
3. Get a guidebook or audioguide to help you appreciate the Roman Forum, and give it the time it deserves.
4. Pay a bit extra to experience the Vatican with less crowds and mayhem.
 |
| The charming neighborhood of Trastevere |
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| Pizza and wine on the terrace |
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| Flower stalls and Campo di Fiori |
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| Yummy burrata and tuna for lunch |
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| Sunset over the Tiber |
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